Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Thursday - April 17, 2014

From: Gulfport, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, Vines
Title: Ivy a suitable ground cover in Live Oaks from Gulfport MS
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Will Ivy be a safe and suitable ground cover for old growth Live Oak trees in coastal Mississippi?

ANSWER:

We are assuming you are referring to English Ivy, which is both non-native to North America and invasive. Here is an article about Hedera helix (English Ivy) that we hope will help to convince you not to plant it, because once you plant it, you HAVE it and it won't go away. Regardless of its name, it is native to most of Europe and western Asia and most invasive.

If you will forgive us for being more than a little lazy today (Spring Fever), we would like to link you to some previous Mr. Smarty Plants answers dealing with this subject.

Davidsonville GA